Posted by yesac on August 1, 2003, at 15:02:37
In reply to MAOI'S-Selegiline vs Nardil...., posted by john Henry on July 31, 2003, at 11:48:27
I've been taking Parnate for almost 2 months. It doesn't seem to be helping me, but I am going to go up on my dose (despite my doctor saying not to). I've seen a lot of positive posts about them too, so I really want to give it a good solid chance...
> How are they the same/different? What mechanisms do they use?
I'm not sure really how Parnate and Nardil are different. The basic mechanism is that they are monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase is the enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, which are the neurotransmitters that are generally accepted as the "cause" of mood disorders. Anyways, so the MAOIs bind irreversibly to monoamine oxidase (MAO) and therefore inhibits it from breaking down the NTs. There are two kinds of MAO - MAO-A and MAO-B. The inhibition of MAO-A is considered to be responsible for the antidepressant quality of maoi's, and the inhibition of mao-b is supposed to be responsible more for the side effects.
> Second,which do you find more effective and for what symptoms?
I've only been on Parnate, and it so far hasn't been effective for any symptoms.
> Third,how hard is it to follow the dietary restrictions?It really hasn't been too hard for me. The biggest problem is cheddar cheese, and other aged cheeses because a lot of the time I'm not sure if certain cheeses are aged or not. It's been hard to figure that one out. You do have to think a bit more about what you are eating, but you get used to it.
> How would you compare them to other psychoactive drugs?
They are supposed to be quite potent compared to a lot of the more modern drugs (like SSRIs). I haven't responded to really any of the drugs I've tried, which has been quite a few, so I can't really comment on how different things have made me feel. As for side effects, I haven't really had any bad ones from Parnate. My blood pressure was fairly low for a while (like around 110/60), but that seems to have gone away. I do sometimes feel really lightheaded - usually in the middle of the night if I get up. My heart pounds a lot, but it isn't really that bothersome. I haven't had the insomnia problems that a lot of people have. Oh yeah, and the most annoying side effect I think for me is dry mouth. My mouth/throat have become extremely dry all the time. But really, in the grand scheme of side effects, that is not so bad at all.
I hope this is helpful... just my personal experience and knowledge about the oh-so-wonderful MAOIs! Sorry it's so long...
poster:yesac
thread:247025
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030728/msgs/247402.html